Friday, January 28, 2011

We have seen this before in East Germany, Hungary, Poland and in all of Eastern Europe. People, tired of subjugation, overthrow tyrants. In East Europe, there was a happy ending. Not so for Iran under the Shah, where religious fanatics and bigots became bigger and more fearsome tyrants. The question for Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen is what will follow?
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A fresh wave of mass protests could leave Egypt teetering on the brink of revolution on Friday after police warned the president they could soon lose control of the demonstrators demanding his overthrow.

Hosni Mubarak's grip on power was slipping on Thursday and momentum appeared to be shifting rapidly in favour of pro-democracy activists.

Undeterred by a violent police response and the deaths of at least seven people after three days of clashes in Cairo and other cities, organisers said they planned to make today's marches the biggest yet. Yesterday police shot dead a protester in north Sinai.

They were given a further boost after Mohamed ElBaradei, one of Mr Mubarak's fiercest critics, returned to Egypt from Vienna to join the protests, providing opponents of the regime with a potential figurehead to rally around.

Desperately trying to avoid a repeat of Tunisia's Jasmine Revolt, which saw President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali ousted from power earlier this month, Mr Mubarak's ruling party convened in emergency session.

The interior ministry declared on Thursday night it would take “decisive measures” against anyone protesting on Friday.

In a further blow to his attempts to retain the office he has held for nearly 30 years, sources in Egypt said Mr Mubarak, who is 82, was told by police commanders that any demonstration attracting more than 70,000 protesters could not be contained.

A page announcing Friday's protest on Facebook, one of the social networking websites that has played a leading role in mobilising opposition supporters, drew over 56,000 supporters in 24 hours.

However early on Friday morning, many internet connections went down across Cairo, leading some to accuse the government of cutting them to prevent social networking sites being used to coordinate protests.

While many of those are likely to stay at home, analysts say the regime's failure to break the protests will only embolden more Egyptians to join them. Yesterday, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood – Egypt's largest opposition group – also threw its support behind the protests, which have been mainly secular so far.

Its supporters could give the protests a major numerical boost.

"It's over, I think, for the Mubarak regime," said Maha Azzam, an Egyptian-born associate fellow at the think-tank, Chatham House.

"It may take a couple of months or longer, but I think there will now be a consistent challenge to him." If the police are unable to quell the demonstrations, Mr Mubarak will be left with no choice but to turn to the army. Although Egypt's generals have been unquestioning in their loyalty to the president, they may baulk at the prospect of ordering their troops to open fire at unarmed protesters and turn against him. It was the loss of the army's support in Tunisia that prompted Mr Ben Ali to flee.

"If there is a situation where they are forced to kill people, top generals will put their foot down," said Hisham Kassem, a prominent Egyptian publisher and analyst.
In what could be a sign of things to come, some army units in Suez, the eastern city that has seen some of the worst of the violence, reportedly refused orders to disperse protesters yesterday.

Seeking to escalate the pressure on the president, Mr ElBaradei, who is a former chief of the UN's nuclear watchdog, offered to lead a transitional government.
"If people, in particular young people, if they want me to lead the transition, I will not let them down," he said.

Although he has been a leading Western ally, Mr Mubarak was also facing growing international isolation as the United States and Britain both called on him to heed the grievances of his people by instituting reforms.

So far, there has been little sign that the president – who has not been seen in public since the protests began â " is listening.

His security forces have arrested nearly 1,000 people and injured hundreds. There were further deaths, too, as police shot dead a protester in Sinai yesterday, a region of the country that had previously been quiet.

The growing unrest has unnerved investors and the Cairo Stock Exchange was briefly forced to close after share prices fell by more than seven per cent. London-listed shares in gold miner Centamin Egypt and Egypt-focused Circle Oil also fell.

67 comments:

If they did by any fluke get democracy for a few months, the Islamists would be voted into power and would forthwith expunge democracy, just as Hitler did in Germany.

No civilized country will tolerate having those lunatics in control, so, to pre-empt the possibility, the army will obviously put in another strongman as the least worst option. That type of people are not fit to govern themselves - basically because they are Muslims.

Pure prejudice Georgie. How is the world going to get to a democratic future without movements like this succeeding? This is not your father's revolution. It's secular (having had a look at the example of Iran) and the demands are economic development and democracy, just as in Tunisia. The Islamic Brotherhood has played no role to date, until it declared support tonight and its leaders were promptly arrested (being thoroughly infiltrated by the government).

This is about the people of Egypt asking for democratic change from the failure that is the Mubarak regime.

In an interview with CNN before his return, ElBaradei poured scorn on comments by the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who had described the Egyptian government as stable and "looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people".

No anon - not prejudice - this is the Middle East, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Yemen. Islam is marching on to reassert itself once again in North Africa. Democracy, come on!!!GEt my name right G E O R G Y

The Islamists, Mac, are not the be all end all, in that Region of the whirled.

Though some influence they do wield.

Just as Fulton Sheen and Pat Robertson, even Billy graham have, here.

As the Pope does, in Italy.

Doc Z was an Egyptian, he had to flee.

No telling what will come of the public discord across the Islamic Arc. There is little organized opposition permitted in any of the countries in the region. This is precisely why the aQ types rose to prominence. Only the radicals had the nerve to stand up to the autocrats and the security forces.

Normal political action was not permitted. This course of action was subsidized by US. One of the reasons we could be easily vilified, by the radicals.

Those that were disgruntle, by the Political Establishment, supported by US, had no other outlet for their discontent, but Islamic radicalism.

We made the bed, then fluffed the pillows. That money we sent to Egypt, billions upon billions over the last few decades ...

Better if we had wasted it away, in Margaritaville.

The policies the US has pursued, in the Islamic Arc, over the past 40 years, coming back to bite the current generation of US, in the ass.

This what we've spent over a Trillion USD to achieve, enjoy the fruits of our "investment".

DAVOS, Switzerland (Dow Jones)--Inflation on a global level is "not high on the list of concerns," even though emerging markets across the world are certainly "feeling some pressure" US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geither said Friday.

The Egyptian government's crackdown on protesters intensified Friday with access to all forms of mass communication, including the Internet, mobile and SMS, taken down, even as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned that "freedom of expression should be fully respected."

It could easily be argued, doug, that it was the over throw of the Iranian Prime Minister, in 1958, that led to the current nightmare in Iran.

The Shah only bolstered the Islamic Radicals, as he stifled all other political dissent.

Same as has occurred with Mubarak.

The 1953 Iranian coup d'état, on August 19, 1953 (known as the 28 Mordad coup[1] in Iran), was the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh orchestrated by the intelligence agencies of the United Kingdom and the United States.[2] The coup launched 26 years of dictatorship under Mohammad-Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, who relied heavily on U.S. support to hold on to power

When moderate opposition is not allowed, only the radicals will thrive.

Don'tkid yourself Stella The Islamic Brotherhood have been years waiting in the wings for this moment. The security forces and the Army will step up whether they like it or not. They understand the alternative perfectly well. The people will jump on the strong horse or get trampled for not.======

Desert Rat:

No telling what will come of the public discord across the Islamic Arc. There is little organized opposition permitted in any of the countries in the region. This is precisely why the aQ types rose to prominence. Only the radicals had the nerve to stand up to the autocrats and the security forces...We made the bed, then fluffed the pillows. That money we sent to Egypt, billions upon billions over the last few decades ...

Better if we had wasted it away, in Margaritaville.

The policies the US has pursued, in the Islamic Arc, over the past 40 years, coming back to bite the current generation of US, in the ass.

Egypt played the US dollar for dollar with aid to Israel. Not one of those dollars increased US security. What did it accomplish? Did it by us love or respect?

Tens of thousands of protesting Egyptians flooded into the streets after Friday's prayers in mounting demonstrations calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

Security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in central Cairo, where some of the larger demonstrations were held. Trucks of police armed with water cannons lined Cairo avenues as government forces attempted to disperse crowds.

Internet service, a key tool for activists, was shut down across the country shortly after midnight. Cell phone text messaging and data plans were also disabled. Telecom company Vodafone says the Egyptian government ordered all mobile telephone operators to suspend service in parts of the country.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for Egypt's leaders and its people not to let violence escalate. He says world leaders should view the protests as a chance to hear the "legitimate concerns" of their people.

Earlier, Egypt's largest opposition group, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, says at least five senior leaders and five former members of parliament were arrested in raids.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Elbaradei has been a strong champion of the Muslim Brotherhood as he was a supporter of the Iranians. If you look at the street signs, you will see many antagonistic to Israel, because Mubarack cut a deal with Israel.

Elbaradei has been quoted “We should stop demonizing the Muslim Brotherhood. They have not committed any acts of violence in five decades. They too want change. If we want democracy and freedom, we have to include them instead of marginalizing them.” In Teheran he said, "Israel is the number one threat to the Middle East given the nuclear arms it possesses."

The Muslim Brotherhood for its part has backed Elbaradei’s political aspirations. On Thursday, it announced it would demonstrate at ElBaradei’s side the next day. SOURCE: Jpost

Here is the article: TEHRAN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei said Sunday that "Israel is number one threat to Middle East" with its nuclear arms, the official IRNA news agency reported.

At a joint press conference with Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi in Tehran, ElBaradei brought Israel under spotlight and said that the Tel Aviv regime has refused to allow inspections into its nuclear installations for 30years, the report said.

"Israel is the number one threat to the Middle East given the nuclear arms it possesses," ElBaradei was quoted as saying.

Israel is widely assumed to have nuclear capabilities, although it refuses to confirm or deny the allegation.

I am still waiting for Allen's recognition and humble apology the he was wrong and man enough to admit it. There is a difference of opinion on this site about Israel.

I have no emotional attachment to Israel. I agree with some things and differ on others.

In general I am opposed to religious states with the exception of Israel. Israel is a fortress state for the protection of Jews everywhere. No reasonable argument can be made that it should not be so in light of the history of Jews, especially in Europe.

Israel is a wealthy state and should not look to the US for financial support. Israel has been a strategic liability as well as an asset. It has nothing to do with their religion except as they choose to make it so, and many in Israel do.

My personal experience in dealing with Israelis has been open, honest and pleasurable.

I would prefer to hear from an Israeli what is objectionable about this site, not some emotional intellectually dishonest ideologue.

The ruling party building is in flames -Some police are standing down - Thousands of Jordanians marched against the government's political and economic policies - demanding the prime minister's resignation -Mohamed ElBaradei arrested.

I am still waiting for Allen's recognition and humble apology the he was wrong and man enough to admit it. There is a difference of opinion on this site about Israel.

I'm not holding my breath. He's all over my ass on Belmont Club too, quibbling over every little post. Essentially I've been singled out for harassment, and there's nothing I can do about it.

I would prefer to hear from an Israeli what is objectionable about this site, not some emotional intellectually dishonest ideologue.

I appreciate what you do here, Deuce. If I ever do make a blindly biased statement against some group, I'm quite sure you will call me on it. Very early on you objected to what you thought was an anti-German stance, and you fretted that another statement I made would cause people to gather the wrong impression about this blog from a Google search.

Egypt, another example of the US' continuing incompetance in foreign policy.

Earlier in the week, Hillary argued that Mubarak was in charge and only doing those things necessary for the stability of the Egyptian people. Now people there are blaming her for giving cover to Mubarak's crackdown that started Tuesday and Wednesday. (Also, one has to think that US monetary policy which is leading to food inflation in much of the developing world, including Egypt where unemployment is around 10%, is further making the US appear as the bad guy there.)

Now Clinton goes on record today with no support for Mubarack, but instead calling for freedom of assembly for the protesters, for an opening up of telecommunications, and across the board reforms.

Reactive. Too little too late. You pick the description. The fact is, the US has ignored Mubarak's abuses since the 1980's and provided billions supporting his corrupt regime, mostly to our disadvantage.

The bad part? It's likely, that even if we had done the exact opposite we would have probably been just as screwed.

I had thought the proposal to cancel most foreign aid was just being naive. However, considering that most of our foreign aid really amounts to shipping billions to rich people in poor countries, I now kind of accept the position that we would be better off cancelling it across the board.

(Just saw Gibbs on television, what a dick. Basically said, we are watching the situation closely and will adjust our policy accordingly. Translation: It may be 180 degrees from our previous position but we'll see which side wins and applaud.)

Magnificent Ronald and the Founding Fathers of al Qaeda

“These gentlemen are the moral equivalents of America’s founding fathers.” — Ronald Reagan while introducing the Mujahideen leaders to media on the White house lawns (1985). During Reagan’s 8 years in power, the CIA secretly sent billions of dollars of military aid to the mujahedeen in Afghanistan in a US-supported jihad against the Soviet Union. We repeated the insanity with ISIS against Syria.